Any insights into Lucy's cute and unusual new behavior?

rickr

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A bit of background before I get to my question.  My beautiful 7 year old black girl, Lucy, is a bottle fed baby.  Other than the occasional late night catawauller and a sonorous purr, she rarely vocalizes.  Instead of talking, Lucy shows me what she wants.  First she will gain my attention, then trot to a specific location.  If she wants to play she will run to the music room, if she wants a drink of water she goes into the bathroom, if she wants to be petted she climbs to her favorite hamper on one of the cat trees, etc.

Over the last month, Lucy has developed a new behavior that has me stumped.  She lounges in the dinning room and waits patiently for me to enter the room.  When she sees me, she sits up, trills, and then trots to her food bowl with her tail straight up.  Once I follow her to the bowl, she starts eating and raises her butt - another sign she wants to be petted.  Of course, I oblige. I find the new behavior endearing and the trill wonderful.  

I know trills are thought to be an expression of happiness.  But I'm perplexed that she started trilling so late in life and clueless as to why she wants me to follow her to her food bowl.  Any thoughts on what Lucy might be trying to tell me?  

Thanks in advance.
 

1CatOverTheLine

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It is, admittedly, rather perplexing, given that she apparently wishes only to be petted while she eats.

Not knowing the precise sound she's vocalising, I tried Google Translate, with the origin language set to "Cat," and the target language set to, "English," though I imagine that you've gone this route already, and doubtless with the same result.

 
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rickr

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Hi @1CatOverTheLine, thanks for the tip about google translate.  I had not seen that before.  Also, a quick clarification.  In addition to frequent drive-bys, Lucy asks for several extended petting sessions a day.  When she asks me to follow her to her food bowl, she just wants a quick pet, maybe 4 or 5 strokes before she lowers her rear and devotes her full attention to chowing down. It's quite cute.  I just wish I understood what she's trying to tell me.
 

ameliashuman

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No real insights, but one of my cats LOVES to be brushed while eating.  She'll come into whatever room we're in, meow until we look up and then sprint into the bedroom with the food.  If we don't follow, she repeats until we finally give in.  We refer to the brushes as  paying homage to the queen.
 
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rickr

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Thanks, @ameliashuman  .  Lucy does enjoy being petted while she eats.  And perhaps that's part of what she's trying to tell me.  I'm starting to think that perhaps she wants me to watch her eat.  Things have been a little turbulent between Lucy and her housemate, Archie lately.  Maybe she feels safer when I'm near her while she eats.  
 
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